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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · squash · suit · staff · cabinet · roll · lean · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lean — thin
  13. roll — a cake
  14. charge — electricity
  15. roll — a list
  16. squash — to crush
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — in control
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. charge — a price
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mine — for digging
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com